Grover Cleveland First Term Presidential $1 Coin
Coin Description
The Story
Grover Cleveland was the only president who left the White House and returned for a second term after another president’s term. Cleveland was born in 1837 in New Jersey and was raised in upstate New York.
As a lawyer in Buffalo, he became known for his single-minded concentration. Cleveland ran as a reformer and was elected mayor of Buffalo in 1881. Later, he was elected governor of New York.
He won the presidency in 1884 with the combined support of Democrats and Republicans known as the “Mugwumps,” who broke from the Republican party in favor of civil service reform.
In June 1886, Cleveland married 21-year-old Frances Folsom, the youngest First Lady ever. He was the only president who was married inside the White House.
As the 22nd President, Cleveland’s policy was to deny special favors to any economic group. He also vetoed many private pension bills to Civil War veterans whose claims were dishonest. In addition, he signed the Interstate Commerce Act, the first law that put the federal government in charge of the railroads.
Cleveland also angered the railroads by ordering an investigation of western lands that the government had granted to them. The investigation forced the railroads to return 81 million acres to the government.
Running for re-election in 1888, he won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote and the presidency to his Republican opponent, Benjamin Harrison.